Great drinks, great atmosphere, and Trey took good care of us.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Jj R.
I came here on a date when I first moved to Knoxville, my boyfriend and I each had a couple drinks, I don’t remember the first drinks we ordered, but I do distinctly remember how delicious the espresso martinis were had were. I dream of them. Highly recommend going if you’ve never been. It’s a really chill vibe, for anyone who’s a millennial like we are, the lighting is PERFECT. I’m looking forward to our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Frye
Cool spot for cocktails
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Junior Rios
The term library does not apply here. It is very loud and I could not here my party nor the music that was playing. Dress code is more or less a suggestion. I saw people coming in and out with shorts, hats, t-shirts. Would not recommend coming back and I myself would not come back anytime soon. Very disappointed with my experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
David Nardi
Neat place but small and awkward.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4
Jared Watkins
The Peter Kern Library is a great spot for a cocktail before or after dinner. I enjoy the “speakeasy” vibe, in the heart of Downtown Knoxville. From my understanding, they frequently update their menu so you can always try something new each visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sheila Perry
My boyfriend and I went here for a date night last night. What a dope spot this is! From the fantastic service and knowledge of Mariah and the GREAT cocktails made by Trey (who has a fabulous singing voice to boot), it was such a good vibe!
I got the Tom Ripley 1955 which was a creamy pistachio cocktail. It was like nothing I’ve ever had before. I ended up getting two of them. My boyfriend got a daiquiri with Appleton Estate rum. It was also his favorite and he got another as well. I highly recommended this spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Abra Kolar
Always a nice visit. The atmosphere is what does it for me. Keep it classy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
aksunfl
Authentic speak easy bar with great cocktails and fun ambiance. Really love the secret wall 😉
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Taylor Marlowe
You can tell they are trying for a super cool vibe, but the drinks were only OK and the music was super loud and obnoxious. I feel you should be a lot more mellow. We also had to wait for a super long time for a drinks or any sort of service.
You've gotta get here if you care about cocktails. Great people and better drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachel McDowell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can’t say enough great things about the staff at the Peter Kern Library! Recently, my friend got engaged at the Sunsphere downtown. Before the proposal, I had created a series of puzzles for her to solve, each tied to different spots in Knoxville — and one of those stops was the Library.
I had visited ahead of time, and a staff member kindly offered to reserve a table for my friend and her now-fiancé, even though they don’t typically do that. When the couple arrived, the staff went above and beyond to make their experience unforgettable. They said it was one of their favorite parts of the night — they felt like celebrities!
The care, attention, and genuine kindness shown by the Peter Kern Library team made a special night even more magical. My husband and I already loved the Library, but after this, our appreciation has grown even more. Thank you for making our friends feel so celebrated!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jared Sturtevant
Can’t miss speakeasy Enter via the “secret” red light door in the alley or the Oliver hotel lobby. Go the dark alley route!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Katie Anderson
Don’t skip the food with your amazing cocktail! Service is top notch and the atmosphere is cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elena Padilla
We found this spot and were super excited about the speakeasy vibe. When arriving, we waited in the lobby area for about 5 minutes before someone arrived and let us into the actual bar. We had the code ready and everything, although they did not really use it and just let us through which killed the vibe a bit. Overall though, the ambiance and drinks were both amazing! The service was great as well and our waiter was super sweet and gave us recommendations.
Great drinks, great atmosphere, and Trey took good care of us.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
I came here on a date when I first moved to Knoxville, my boyfriend and I each had a couple drinks, I don’t remember the first drinks we ordered, but I do distinctly remember how delicious the espresso martinis were had were.
I dream of them. Highly recommend going if you’ve never been. It’s a really chill vibe, for anyone who’s a millennial like we are, the lighting is PERFECT. I’m looking forward to our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Cool spot for cocktails
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The term library does not apply here. It is very loud and I could not here my party nor the music that was playing. Dress code is more or less a suggestion. I saw people coming in and out with shorts, hats, t-shirts. Would not recommend coming back and I myself would not come back anytime soon. Very disappointed with my experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 3
Neat place but small and awkward.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 4
The Peter Kern Library is a great spot for a cocktail before or after dinner. I enjoy the “speakeasy” vibe, in the heart of Downtown Knoxville. From my understanding, they frequently update their menu so you can always try something new each visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I went here for a date night last night. What a dope spot this is! From the fantastic service and knowledge of Mariah and the GREAT cocktails made by Trey (who has a fabulous singing voice to boot), it was such a good vibe!
I got the Tom Ripley 1955 which was a creamy pistachio cocktail. It was like nothing I’ve ever had before. I ended up getting two of them. My boyfriend got a daiquiri with Appleton Estate rum. It was also his favorite and he got another as well. I highly recommended this spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Always a nice visit. The atmosphere is what does it for me. Keep it classy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Authentic speak easy bar with great cocktails and fun ambiance. Really love the secret wall 😉
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You can tell they are trying for a super cool vibe, but the drinks were only OK and the music was super loud and obnoxious. I feel you should be a lot more mellow. We also had to wait for a super long time for a drinks or any sort of service.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
You've gotta get here if you care about cocktails. Great people and better drinks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can’t say enough great things about the staff at the Peter Kern Library! Recently, my friend got engaged at the Sunsphere downtown. Before the proposal, I had created a series of puzzles for her to solve, each tied to different spots in Knoxville — and one of those stops was the Library.
I had visited ahead of time, and a staff member kindly offered to reserve a table for my friend and her now-fiancé, even though they don’t typically do that. When the couple arrived, the staff went above and beyond to make their experience unforgettable. They said it was one of their favorite parts of the night — they felt like celebrities!
The care, attention, and genuine kindness shown by the Peter Kern Library team made a special night even more magical. My husband and I already loved the Library, but after this, our appreciation has grown even more. Thank you for making our friends feel so celebrated!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Can’t miss speakeasy
Enter via the “secret” red light door in the alley or the Oliver hotel lobby. Go the dark alley route!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Don’t skip the food with your amazing cocktail! Service is top notch and the atmosphere is cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We found this spot and were super excited about the speakeasy vibe. When arriving, we waited in the lobby area for about 5 minutes before someone arrived and let us into the actual bar. We had the code ready and everything, although they did not really use it and just let us through which killed the vibe a bit. Overall though, the ambiance and drinks were both amazing! The service was great as well and our waiter was super sweet and gave us recommendations.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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